


Keep the Home Fires Burning

by prouvaireafterdark



Series: RNM ficlets [19]
Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Alex Manes Loves Michael Guerin, Alex Manes Needs a Hug, Coda, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Matchmaking, post 2x13
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:46:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24767179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prouvaireafterdark/pseuds/prouvaireafterdark
Summary: “Look, I know I’m overstepping here,” Isobel interrupts, her resolve to tell Alex the rest of what she has to say like steel in her spine, “but Michael’s an idiot when it comes to you so I feel duty bound as his sister to tell you what he can’t.”***After Michael walks away in the middle of Alex's song, Isobel tells Alex not to give up on him.
Relationships: Forrest Long/Alex Manes, Isabel Evans & Alex Manes, Isabel Evans & Gregory Manes, Isabel Evans/Gregory Manes, Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Series: RNM ficlets [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1545418
Comments: 54
Kudos: 238





	Keep the Home Fires Burning

**Author's Note:**

> I feel pretty good about Malex after the finale, but I didn’t like the idea of Alex thinking Michael left because he didn’t like the song soooooo I fixed it, with some bonus Isobel/Gregory too :)

Isobel perches on a bar stool and waits for Alex to grab another drink. She’s been subtly influencing people to stay away from the seat next to her for the last half hour, so when he comes up to the otherwise crowded bar a few minutes later, he’s standing right beside her.

“That was amazing,” she grins. “The _song_ , your _performance_ —I loved it, Alex.”

Alex flushes and ducks his head a little to hide his smile. “Thanks,” he says.

The bartender comes up and takes his order—two drinks, she notices—and once they’re alone again she makes her move.

“And, for the record,” she says, leaning in a little closer, “so did Michael.”

Alex’s smile drops from his face and he flinches like she hit him. “Isobel—“ he starts, but before he can get another word out, she turns her body in her seat to face him.

“Look, I know I’m overstepping here,” she interrupts, her resolve to tell Alex the rest of what she has to say like steel in her spine, “but Michael’s an idiot when it comes to you so I feel duty bound as his sister to tell you what he can’t.”

Isobel feels a wave of sympathy hit her when she catches the quietly devastated look on Alex’s face.

Alex lets out a weary sigh. “And what’s that?”

“That the reason he didn’t stay for the end of your song isn’t because he doesn’t _want_ to hear it,” she says, placing her hand over the one he has braced on the bar top in front of him. His fingers twitch beneath hers, but he allows it. “It’s because he isn’t ready to right now, but he _will_ be. Sooner than you think, he’ll be ready for you.”

Hope and frustration war on his face before he asks, “How do you know that?”

She smiles at him. “He told me so.”

Alex is quiet for a long minute before he finally asks, “And what am I supposed to do with that right now?”

“I don’t expect you to _do_ anything,” she says softly. “I just don’t want you to think he left because he doesn’t care about you. He left because he _does_ , Alex, believe me. I’ve never seen him look at anyone the way he looked at you tonight.”

Alex sighs heavily and swallows hard as he sends his eyes to the ceiling. The bartender comes back to drop off the beers Alex ordered—an unfortunate reality check.

“And what about him?” Alex asks her, eyebrow raised as he gestures over his shoulder to where that blue-haired cutie she saw him with is waiting for their drinks.

“Have a good time with him,” she shrugs. “Date him or don’t, I don’t care, just—please don’t give up on Michael. He needs to work on himself a little, but he’ll get there, and for _both_ your sakes I hope you’ll be ready for him when he does. This dance you two have been doing is exhausting to watch and I love you both too much to just keep letting you accidentally torture each other.”

“Love me?” Alex asks, confused. “You barely know me.”

“I know that you love him,” Isobel persists, unfazed. “And we both know he loves you. As far as I’m concerned, that makes us family.”

A complicated series of emotions passes over Alex’s face, but before he can settle on one, Isobel slides off her stool.

“Enjoy your night, Alex,” she says. “You deserve it.” She gives his hand a parting squeeze before she leaves the bar.

Isobel gets halfway to her car when she hears the door of the Wild Pony swing open and a man call her name. She turns to see not Alex, but Gregory Manes jogging over to her.

“I think we should join forces,” he says when he catches up to her.

“Well, that’s a line I’ve never heard before,” she says, eyeing him up and down. “You get bonus points for originality, but you still have to buy me a drink first.”

Gregory laughs and ducks his head not unlike Alex did a few moments ago. For some reason she can’t explain, she finds it endearing. He’s still smiling when he looks back up at her.

“Not that I wouldn’t love to buy you dinner sometime, but that’s not what I meant,” Gregory explains, and a little thrill goes through her at the admission. “Alex told me what you said in there. If you’re trying to get them back together, I want in.”

“Really?” she says, her interest piqued for a whole other reason.

“Yeah,” Gregory nods, taking another step closer. “That guy in there seems nice and all, but Alex has been telling me about Michael for ten years now. If there’s a way to push them toward the happy ending they deserve, I want to help.”

Isobel smiles at him and holds her hand out. “Give me your phone then,” she says.

He does without complaint.

When she saves her number in his contacts, it’s under the name “Legend 😉.”

“Looking forward to working with you, Gregory,” she says, handing his phone back to him.

Gregory takes it from her and glances at the screen, laughing at what he finds there. Isobel finds she really likes the sound.

“Me too,” he smiles, and Isobel can’t help but think this is the beginning to a beautiful partnership.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr [@prouvaireafterdark!](https://prouvaireafterdark.tumblr.com/)


End file.
